Media Release

Two men have been arrested in connection with a kidnapping last month in Kona.

On December 23, a 22-year-old Kailua-Kona man reported that at 3:45 p.m., a 31-year-old male acquaintance and a second unidentified man approached him on Royal Poinciana Drive near Aliʻi Drive and asked him for drugs and cash. When he refused, they reportedly assaulted him, forced him into a sports-utility vehicle, stole personal items and held him at knife point while driving around Kailua-Kona for more than an hour and demanding money.

The victim persuaded his assailants to drive him to the home of a family member so he could get cash. Once there, he went inside. After a family member confronted the suspects and said police had been called, the suspects drove away.

On January 1, Kona patrol officers located the SUV, which was damaged and abandoned on Hina Lani Street in Kailua-Kona. Further investigation by Area II Criminal Investigations Section detectives confirmed the identities of both suspects.

On Monday (January 6), police arrested 31-year-old Jack Toribio Casuga of Kailua-Kona and took him to the Kona police cellblock while detectives continued the investigation.

On Wednesday (January 8), Casuga was charged with kidnapping, first-degree robbery, first-degree terroristic threatening and fourth-degree theft. He was also charged with violating parole in an unrelated incident and with first-degree burglary and second-degree attempted robbery for another unrelated incident on December 19 at a home on Aliʻi Drive. His bail was set at $146,000. He was held at the cellblock until his initial court appearance on Thursday (January 9).

Also on Thursday (January 9), 29-year-old William Holbron-Kealoha of Kailua-Kona was arrested and charged with kidnapping, first-degree robbery, first-degree terroristic threatening and an unrelated count of failure to appear. His bail was set at $110,100. He remains at the Kona police cellblock pending his initial court appearance scheduled for Friday (January 10).